Francis Davis’ letter (29 August) pointing out Jeremy Corbyn’s ultra-left policies strikes a familiar chord with me, especially in respect of the 1987 General Election, in which I was his SDP rival. In the many public meetings Corbyn took a very pro-abortion stance, which contrasted with my own pro-life stance. He also took every opportunity to advertise his weekly surgery at the Catholic presbytery in Copenhagen Street, Islington. Interestingly, the diocesan authorities seemed unconcerned.In the intervening years  I have had the good fortune to join Jeremy in anti-war and pro-development aid marches, and to better appreciate his personal integrity and deep commitment to the world’s poorest. In this context, and given his excellent record on constituency work, I can